Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The parish church of Saint-Julien de Peynier, mentioned as early as 1079 among the properties of the abbey of Saint-Victor of Marseille, preserves remains of its medieval origin. A wall at the bottom of the bell tower and the Roman bedside, with its arched apse in cul-de-four, date from the reconstruction of the twelfth century. The rare decorative elements of the period include arches in the middle of the hanger and a multured cornice, while murals (fleurs de lilies, friezes polychromes) adorn the apse since the late Middle Ages, restored in 2014.

From the 17th century, the building underwent major changes: the nave was rebuilt in Baroque style (late 17th century), an unfinished bell tower was erected between 1711 and 1713, and a collateral Notre-Dame was added in 1786. In the 19th century, the liturgical orientation was reversed, with the choir moved to the west and new doors opened on the square. A private balcony, now disappeared, once allowed the lords of Thomassin de Peynier to access the office directly from their castle.

The interior furniture, mostly Sulpician (late 19th), includes a procession cross of 1789 and a bumblebee of 1694, classified historical monument. The bell tower, with four bells, dominates the village. The seigneurial tomb of the Thomassin, originally in the chapel of Saint Joseph, is now under the sacristy. A commemorative plaque, broken during the Revolution and rebuilt, recalls their lineage.

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